Open Video Broadcast/ Filtered Message

[neverfeltthatway]

Open Broadcast

[Though it may be somewhat alarming to those who have yet to experience the telepathic network, Armin's image appears in everyone's mind. It's been a while since they arrived back, and nobody else seems to be taking the lead getting everyone organized, so he figures someone needs to step up.]

To all the newcomers arriving, please stay calm. Try not to panic, and try not to project your thoughts so chaotically - with all of you that are arriving, it'll only make things more confusing for everyone. No one should hear your thoughts if you're not actively projecting them - except in Gate A2.

I know you all have a lot of questions. There are many of us who've been here a while, so try to find someone who looks like they know what they're doing, and they can help you. I'll try to help as best I can too - we can talk like this, or if you'd prefer face to face, I'm in the hallway connecting the V1 and V2 lounges.

Filtered from New Arrivals

Does anybody know if one of the Trumps was actually present, whether it was PSYCHENet or not? Was anybody marked this time?

Comments

network > action;

[upcard]

[It takes her a little while to find him, admittedly, but eventually she does come wandering nearby, and as soon as she spies his blond hair, she perks up, hurrying closer.]

Oh, Armin-san...! There you are!

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin glances up at his name, sitting bent over his notebook as he is, and smiles upon seeing her.] Mai! If you don't mind, I'd like to finish this quick. It'll just take a minute...

[He turns back to his notebook after receiving an affirmative, scribbling quickly. Apparently he was serious, though - he looks back up a little less than a minute later, standing up.] There - sorry about that. Thank you for coming.

[upcard]

Of course.

[She doesn't mind being polite and waiting; patiently, she lets him finish without crowding him or trying to look, and as soon as he stands up to greet her, she dips her head in a bow in response.]

It's really good to see you again, Armin-san.

[Sure, she was just talking to him, but there's something really good about being face to face with her friends here.]

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin blinks at the bow, and looks a little surprised at her words. He'd said he'd hoped they were friends, but... well, he hadn't realized she liked him well enough to be glad to see him. Anyone else, he might have thought she was just being polite - but she sounds so genuine.]

Th-thank you. It's good to see you too.

[upcard]

[Of course she's sincere, Armin-san is a very important person to her who has helped her a lot!!

But she smiles at that, and then moves closer to neatly sit next to him, folding her legs beneath herself and rearranging her skirt.]

Did... you do okay, last Jaunt? I know your uniform was, um, a little odd, but--

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin sits back down when she does, a complicated expression on his face at the question.] I-I'm not sure. The uniform wasn't really a problem. [Though it's still enough to make him blush a little.] I'm afraid I didn't help very much, though. And it was... difficult. With so many of my friends infiltrating so soon after, after Harrogate. And then Sansa...

[In the time he had most needed support, he had seen his girlfriend with Joscelin - someone he honestly thought was better for her - saw her happy with him, and at the same time feel nothing for Armin. As nice as it was to see her happy... it hadn't helped his emotional state after Harrogate. Nor had it helped that there had been nobody he could really talk to about everything that was going on and everything that had happened to him.]

But then, at the same time, a lot of people seemed so happy. And seeing Chizuru and Hijikata get married, to be a part of that... that was wonderful. [Even if he had screwed up the s tech, at first, because he'd been so nervous about his role. Eventually he'd managed to summon the flowers and petals they wanted.]

So... I guess there were both a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. How did you do?

[upcard]

Sansa-san...?

[She searches back in her memory, but...that's right. Sansa and Joscelin. She remembers that. But... was Sansa connected to Armin in some way? She didn't know, but now she's curious, especially when he looks so sad... if she can help in some way, she really wants to.

So she pauses, biting her lip.]

Um, I was fine...! But-- was something wrong...with Sansa-san and you?

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin looks down, still hurt by it, and wondering if she might be better off without him. He tries to push that feeling away, and partially succeeds.]

It... it was just hard to see her like that. With someone else, not knowing who I am.

[He won't mention the rest. Those thoughts... they don't deserve to be given voice.]

[upcard]

["With someone else"...? "Not knowing who I am"...? There are a lot of context clues there. She didn't know this at all, but now that she thinks about it...]

Um... Armin-san, are you and Sansa-san... together?

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh! [Armin looks up at that, pure surprise on his face. It's not like he has reason to think Mai should know they're together - he's just never considered people wouldn't know. He's never been in this situation before, but it's so much a part of his life, it's hard to imagine someone not being aware of it. But now he thinks about it, though they haven't exactly been discreet, they definitely haven't been obvious about it either.]

Y-yes. We are. [He feels a flush to his cheeks again, though this time it's mostly not embarrassment.]

[upcard]

Oh...! Congratulations!

[Mai looks...absolutely delighted, as one might expect upon hearing about her friends being in a good relationship. She smiles brightly, hands clasped together on her lap, and leans forward somewhat in eagerness.]

I didn't know, but...that's so wonderful! How long have you two been together?

[neverfeltthatway]

Th-thank you. [He looks down, blushing a little, but this time there's a small smile on his face.]

Umm... let me see. Eight and a half months? [Then he frowns, thinking.] Or, at least... it's been about eight and a half months since we started dating. But I don't know if you can count the times we haven't been ourselves.

So... really, I guess it's been less than half of that. Four months, maybe.

[upcard]

I think... um, even if you haven't been yourselves for some of it, it's...even more amazing that you can still stay together and love each other even so.

[To be able to come back together now matter what the Jaunt throws...that's pretty incredible.]

So I'm sure... you'll both be okay, no matter what.

[neverfeltthatway]

That's... that's a good way to look at it.

[That kind of optimism... Armin really doesn't know how she does it all the time. But he smiles - even if it doesn't make sense to him, it makes him happy that she can be like this.]

What about you? Do you... have anyone? Here, or back home?

[Armin realizes as he asks that he doesn't actually know the first thing about Mai's home world.]

[upcard]

[She pauses.

Oh.

The hesitation is probably plenty in the way of clues about how awkward a question that is for her, but nonetheless after a moment, she tries to make a valiant attempt at answering it anyway.]

U-um, it's...a little complicated, but... I don't...think so?

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin's eyes widen at that pause, seeming to realize he's made a mistake and wondering if there's any way he can take it back. It's too late, of course, and he feels bad even as he's surprised, given how she talked about it. But then, that was just Mai being Mai - she didn't need personal experience to be optimistic about something.]

Oh. I... I'm sorry.

[He's curious just how her situation is complicated, but he doesn't ask - he gets the feeling she might answer even if she doesn't really want to, and the last thing he wants to do is pressure her.

He bites his lip, unsure where to go from here.]

[upcard]

O-oh, no, it's... it's not your fault...

[She made him feel bad, and in turn she feels a little bad in response. But it's Armin, after all. He's trustworthy, isn't he...?

So after a moment, she adds a little tentatively.]

It's just...

I have amnesia, Armin-san. So I... can't remember.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin looks back up at her in an entirely more animated and serious expression of surprise.]

Amnesia? You mean... from back home?

[Mai wasn't a Traveler when Moebius happened, so that can't be it - unless... but no, even if it were possible, it really sounds like this is something else.]

I - I'm sorry.

[upcard]

Yes... there was an accident back home, so I just...can't remember anything.

[But then he apologizes, and she's quick to respond, wide-eyed.]

Oh no, Armin-san, you couldn't have known...! I... I used to try to keep it a secret, but now everyone here is so kind and understanding... I don't think it's so bad if people know.